Rachael Speck will help lead the return of Jewish life and joy to the corner of Shady and Wilkins Avenues
For Immediate Release: November 3, 2026
Media Contact: Shannon Craig Straw, 202-674-5921, treeoflife@westendstrategy.com
PITTSBURGH – The Tree of Life Center for Humanity, the institution that grew out of the community response to the 2018 Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting, announced Rachael Speck as its first chief Jewish engagement and experience officer. She will assume the role on Tuesday, December 15, 2026.
“As someone who has spent my career serving Pittsburgh’s Jewish community and has such a deep, personal connection to The Tree of Life, taking on this role is incredibly meaningful to me. The Tree of Life will always be a place of remembrance, but it’s also a place with a bright Jewish future ahead of it,” said Rachael Speck, The Tree of Life Center for Humanity’s incoming chief Jewish engagement and experience officer. “I’m so excited to be a part of building that future and creating more opportunities for Jewish life, learning, culture, connection and joy. For me, this is about bringing people together, strengthening Jewish life, and using education and meaningful experiences to confront antisemitism and hate. I’m incredibly excited about what the Tree of Life Center for Humanity can become for Jewish Pittsburgh and beyond.”
In the newly established role, Speck will develop and lead cultural and educational initiatives and programs to establish The Tree of Life Center for Humanity as a dynamic center of Jewish learning and culture, and a welcoming hub for all. Speck will also work closely with The Tree of Life Congregation, which remains an independent partner organization and will return to worship in the building when it reopens.
“I look forward to working closely with Rachael as she begins as the first chief Jewish engagement and experience officer at The Tree of Life Center for Humanity,” said Carole Zawatsky, CEO of The Tree of Life Center for Humanity. “Rachael’s deep roots in the Pittsburgh Jewish community and her immense passion for creating opportunities for meaningful engagement with Jewish tradition and culture make her the exact right person for this role. I am confident that together we will create a vibrant Jewish institution where people find connection, meaning, and reasons to return, participate, and belong.”
She comes to The Tree of Life Center for Humanity from the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, where she served as the chief program and innovation officer. A longtime Pittsburgher, Speck also previously served as associate director of Emma Kaufman Camp and in roles supporting young adult programming at the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.
“We appreciate Rachael’s contributions to the JCC and the commitment she has demonstrated in serving our community,” said Jason Kunzman, president and CEO of the JCC Pittsburgh. We wish Rachael continued success in this next chapter and are pleased that she is continuing her work in support of the broader Jewish community.”
“I have known Rachael for many years, both personally and professionally, and I’m thrilled that our friends at The Tree of Life Center for Humanity will benefit from her leadership,” said Robin Friedman, president of the Tree of Life Congregation. "Her passion, energy and commitment have been invaluable, and I could not be happier for her as she takes on this exciting new role. I look forward to working closely with her and finding opportunities for collaboration."
Speck starts her new role as construction is underway on the Daniel Libeskind-designed building in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. The building will house community and educational spaces as well as a first-of-its-kind museum that traces the history of antisemitism in America and tells the story of October 27, 2018, and the community’s powerful unified response against hate. A memorial dedicated to the 11 killed on October 27, 2018, will be built on the grounds of The Tree of Life Center for Humanity.
To date, The Tree of Life Center for Humanity has raised $53.5 million from donors in Pittsburgh and across the country, including the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the Henry Hillman Foundation, the Heinz Endowments, the PNC Foundation, and the Ford Foundation. The project has also received funding through federal grants secured by the Pennsylvania congressional delegation, the National Park Service’s Save America’s Treasures Grant Program, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP).
